Classic Christmas carols return to the cathedral

THE Royal Melbourne Philharmonic will present three Christmas concerts in St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, one of the most acoustically perfect spaces in Australia.

The RMP’s ever-popular Carols in the Cathedral, in the magnificent setting of St Paul’s is the city’s premier concert of traditional Christmas music, carols, and readings.

This year, 2022, marks the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic’s 169th year of music-making. It is Australia’s oldest surviving cultural organisation, and one of the oldest secular choirs in the world.

The Carols in the Cathedral program is a marvellous feast of spectacular fanfares and carols, glorious Christmas music and verse, and performances by massed choirs, superb soloists, majestic brass and percussion, and the spine-tingling skirl of pipes and drums.

The 2022 celebration of Yuletide music will include the ever-popular classics O Come All Ye Faithful, Once in Royal David’s City, and Joy to the World.

Also set for performance are the works of composers Gustav von Holst, Harold Darke, Dan Forrest, Philip Stopford, William G. James, John Rutter, Peter Cornelius, and more!

The angelic voices of special guest performers, the National Boys Choir of Australia, and the Australian/German coloratura soprano Anna Voshege – direct from Vienna, will provide a cornucopia of Christmas food for your soul.

Under the baton of maestro Andrew Wailes, will be pianist Stefan Cassomenos, organist Andrew Bainbridge, Ballarat based harpist Jacinta Dennett.

The National Boys Choir of Australia, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, Melbourne University Choral Society, RMP Orchestra soloists, RMP Brass and Percussion Consort, and the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe are also set to take part.

Readers include myself – Roland Rocchiccioli and Julie Houghton.

Founded in 1853, by a group of civic leaders and music lovers, the intention of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic was to bring musical culture of the highest standard to early colonial Victoria.

Since then it has given performances at many historic occasions and important events in the history of Melbourne, including the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, the 1888 Great Centennial

Exhibition, the opening of the First Australian Parliament at the Exhibition Building in 1901, the opening of the Melbourne Town Hall, and the 1956 Olympic Games.

Handel’s great oratorio, Messiah, has a particular significance for the RMP. It launched the choir in 1853, and has been performed at least once every year since.

This unbroken sequence of performances is considered a world record. Throughout its distinguished history, the RMP has boasted many outstanding conductors, including Sir Malcolm Sargent, Georg Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Granville Bantock, Sir Charles Groves, Sir Eugene Goossens, and chief conductors have included Alberto Zelman and Sir Bernard Heinze.

This year is the RMP’s 17th Carols In The Cathedral with events on Friday, 16 December at 8.30pm and Saturday, 17 December at 2pm and 7.30pm.

Visit rmp.org.au for more information and to book.